Immersion into the heart of the Basque culture
A territory with a strong cultural identity, the Basque Country has managed to preserve many lively festive and sporting traditions, a rich cuisine, and the oldest language in Western Europe still spoken in situ, Euskara. From the province of Labourd to Soule and the Lower Navarre, the French territories of the Basque Country are united by a rich and varied culture as evidenced by the architecture and morphology of the picturesque villages and charming ports: rural sports such as Basque strength, pelota or tug-of-war, Basque songs and improvisation (improvisation sung in verse), traditional dances (Aurresku, Fandango, Jota, Lesaka sword dance, paloteadoa and mutxiko), or craft skills (Basque linen, chocolate, chilli, cheese, cutlery, espadrilles, cideries…). This intangible cultural heritage is to be discovered through the many events, festivities and representations organised in Basque towns and villages, from the Atlantic coast to the foothills of the Pyrenees. Truly exotic, the Basque Country is a territory with a typical and varied architectural heritage: between the neo-Basque villas in the seaside resorts, the labourdine houses on whose facades the peppers dry, the famous surf spots and the pediments present in each village.